National Republican., 1887-02-24
THE HOUSE.

THE HOUSE.
Mr.. Reagan, Of Texas, asked unanimous
consent for the immediate consideration Of
the Senate bill incorporating the Atlantic
and Pacific Ship Railway Company.
Mr.. Anderson, Of Kansas, objected, and
the bill was referred to tho committee on
commerce.
Mr. willis, Of Kentucky, asked that the
House non.concur in the Senate amendments
to the river and harbor appropriation bill;
but Mr.. Anderson also objected to this re-
quest (Which IL granted would throw the
bill Immediately into conference), and the
the bill was referred to the appropriate COM
mittee.
Mr.. Willis Immediately reported It back,
and upon a point Of order, II was sent to
the committee Of the whole.
Mr.. Belmont, OF New York, from the
committee on foreign affairs, reported the
House substitute for the Senate retaliation
bill, and, under the special order, asked
for Its immediate consideration.
Mr.. Rice, Of Massachusetts,, raised the
point OF order that the substitute must be
referred TO the committee OF the whole on
the ground that It affected the revenue.
The speaker overruled the point of order,
stating that there was nothing on the face
Of the bill which showed that II would
either increase or reduce the revenue.
It was finally decided that debate should
proceedings is published elsewhere In to-
days REpUBLIcANl-after which the bill
was passed.
The House then went into committee OF
the whole (Mr. McMillin, of Tennessee, in
the chair) on the Senate amendments to the
postofiice appropriation bill.
Mr. blanchard, OF Louisiana, expressed
his approval OF the amendment appropriat-
ing $500, 900 for foreign mails service with
Central and South America, and, believing
that the policy Of the amendment, II carried
out, would build up our foreign carrying
trade, he would not beldeterred by vehement
defamation from voting for it.
Mr. Martin, Of Alabama, also favored the
amendment as giving an impetus to Ameri-
can trade, and incidentally declared his be.
lief that American ships should be built
upon American soil.
Mr.. Curtin, OF Pennsylvania, not only
wanted American ships built on American
soil and manned by American seamen, but
also protected by an American navy.
Mr.. King, OF Louisiana, favored the
amendment, regarding 1t as step forward
toward the promotion Of American COM
merce.
Mr.. Dockery, Of Missouri, said that the
amendment presented substantially the
proposition which the House had, by an
overwhelming vote, rejected at the last ses-
sion OF Congress. II proposed to extend
ing the past year the boats Of these lines
had sailed 71T,6S4 miles. In other words,
| 1t was proposition to take from the treas
ury 1854 to pay for ocean mail service
| which the government now secured for
$44, ,0OG. He proceeded to point out the
causes which had contributed to the decline
OF our merchant marine.
Mr.. Burrows, of Michigan, argued In sup
| port Of the amendment, and criticised the
House for higglipg about sea and inland
| postage, while England was pouring out
her wealth in order to maintain supremacy
on the seas. And yet gentlemen wondered
why the United States was driven from the
| ocean.
Mr. Tillman, Of South Carolina, would
vote for the amendment notwithstanding
that 1t was denounced as a subsidy. He
| proceeded to point out the necessity OF
commercial relations with South and Cen
tral America. The west wanted great
market. The Central and South American
states were that great market. They were
cur India. They were the countries that
were to make America wealthy, rich, pros
porous, and fourishing, II the United States
would only do something to utilize and
grasp them. II the pending proposition
was subsidy, then every star route In the
gentleman's state was subsidized, for none
of them were self sustaining.
Mr.. Findlay, Of Maryland, was not with.
the last vestige of opposition to the pay
ment Of fair compensate. n for foreign mail
service would vanish. The forty eighth
Congress bad appropriated 100000 for this
purpose, but the Postmaster General had
refused to expend 1t In the first session
Of the forty-ninth Congress that official
had secured the defeat Of similar proposi.
tion. But the maid was only sleeping; she
was not dead. She was called back to life
by the Postmaster General himself.
Mr.. Hammond, of Georgia, and Mr.. Mills,
Of Texas, denounced the amendment as q
subsidy, and ridiculed the idea that II
would be a practical benefit In the building
up Of trade with South America.
Mr.. Springer, OF Illinois, drew distinc-
tion between the system outlined In the
amendment and the system of star route
compensation, contending that the latter
was not in the nature of subsidy, while
the former was not only u subsidy, but an
effort to force trade where 1t would not 60.
Mr.. Blount, of Georgia, closed the debate,
and turned his attention to those Demo.
Gratis who had announced their intention
of voting for the amendment, exhorting
them to fall into line with the living De-
mocracy Of the present, which was unalter-
ably opposed to subsidies. 1t was absurd,
besides, to talk about restoring American
shipping by granting subsidies to steam
The committee then rose and reported
the bill back to the House with recon-.
meDdarion that the amendment be non.
concurred In. The vote was postponed
until to-day at 12 o'clock. The House
then, at 5:35, adjourned.
|
THE blandest man TO be met with these days